the maryland emergency agency, they're standing by and ready to act. >> brian kuebler is standing boy at mema headquarters with the latest. >> sandy is picking up speed and strength. it will make landfall between 8 and 10 p.m., which is unfortunate because high tide is scheduled for 8:25. it will be six feet higher. the bay bridge is closed. the at many bridge is closed -- hatem bridge is closed. the 95, the susquehanna is looking close to being closed. they're looking at 85 miles an hour. when that happens it will be closed. tomorrow the governor said mta

metro will not run, buses, light rails. also no early voting tomorrow. he said he will try and figure out when we can make up those hours. but for a third day in a row early voting will be closed and state government will be closed for a second day in a row. right now there are about 75,000 people without power in the state of maryland. that is going to continue. we'll have another briefing from governor o'malley at 9:30 this evening. reporting from reisterstown. >> joanne wrote in downtown already has cars under water.

all right. we're continuing to track hurricane sandy. it started at 4:00 this morning. >> let's go to wyatt everhart. >> we're doing our best to keep you safe in this massive unprecedented hybrid storm that is unlike any we've ever seen. lowest central pressure, north of carolina. the largest in terms of the size and distance of these gale force winds. finding strengthening. sandy has been encountering warm bands. that has aloud it to churn into new jersey, churning into delaware. super storm sandy in 3d. here's a look right at 5:30. you see the large structure. massive storm with the center, the real intense portion pushing in with all ofs it might into

the delaware bay, delaware, all of m. under the -- of maryland, under the gun. it's an unbelievable situation. some of the wind gusts right now. we've got gusts of 74. gusting to 60 in catonsville. we're bang it approach -- beginning to approach around baltimore. we will probably get hurricane force winds. potential of 70 miles an hour, sustained winds in the bay. over five inches in galena. six inches in columbia. the storm is beginning to come. we're beginning to get the most intense part of the storm. we'll see very intense hurricane conditions from now until 6 a.m.

tomorrow. sandy will not move much. south central pennsylvania and right on top of our area. let's show you some cameras. ocean city has been pummeled all day with a lot of anxiousness here. huge waves coming in. we're at low tide now at the end of this loop but we know what's coming. kent island, the weather continues to deteriorate. we think this side of the bay -- the bay surge will be slightly limited. we get three feet. that's not that bad for a hurricane this powerful. but a lot of that three neat or higher will be -- feet or higher will be piling up. the western shore making it worse for the eastern shore but all of us with enhanced high tides and keeping a sharp eye on the conowingo dam. this is on par withing with

agnes. 1933 severe damage. that has some comparison there. hurricane agnes or also known as hurrican aggie. rain totals were over a foot from both agnes and the hurricane. agnes came in further north. ellicott city flooded out. so this is a historic type storm that will go down in history books with that recurving track. notice it toward connecticut. in this case it will be coming in closer to our sick area. the current tracks we bring it over cecil county, harford county. hurricane force conditions and see it stall out.

we'll have continued flood threats, coastal flood threats and again on this side of the bay where we could have the highest high tide potential. that hard northwest wind. we'll be on this nonstop. we'll be back with more abc2 news at 5:00. stick with us. bring table games like... smith: question seven will blackjack and poker to baltimore. stephanie rawlings-blake: you're talking about 500 new jobs. ken ulman: and increased tourism will mean more business... for maryland's small businesses. jim smith: and instead of marylanders spending... five hundred and fifty million in other states... ken ulman: question seven will keep that money right here. stephanie rawlings-blake: more jobs, millions for schools. jim smith: i'm voting for question seven. ken ulman: i'm voting for question seven. stephanie rawlings-blake: and i'm voting for question seven.

we're covering the storm from top to bottom. >> let's go to kent island. somehow have things gone down in the past hour? >> reporter: they've gone down hill. there are about 1200 people in queen anne's without power. i got off the phone with the director of emergency services here. he says, listen, there are two shelters, kent island high school and centerville middle school. at this point it's not safe.

if you're looking outside thinking i should have left yesterday when the mandatory evacuations went into place, don't leave because the wind and the rain are just too much at this point. this is -- don harrison and i have been driving around queen anne's county. earlier today we saw a car that went off the road. >> it's treacherous. when you're driving around you don't know if it's a quarter inch of water or inch or two. the car ended up in the water off route 18. he made a mistake. it was almost up to the driver's side window. he didn't fair very well, nor did the driver. >> reporter: he was very lucky to get out. the car was sub merged. it took two tow trucks to get

around. >> some people are starting to react to it on the chester overamounts of some of the cars in that community are starting to pull them out. on kent island it's 10 feet before sea level. some people are moving their cars trying to adjust for that. >> reporter: moving their cars. we're keeping our eye on a popular place. this is harris' crab house. i've been there. we're hoping we don't see any damage as we go through the night. we are under the kent narrows bridge. just to keep ourselves and the equipment safe but as we step out, here is why emergency services is saying stay home probably for the next day as the

wind picks up. the wind will take your car and put it in the water as we saw earlier this afternoon. >> cheryl, just an excellent workout. we'll work with you later and stay safe. >> okay. the tydings is now closed. the bay is closed. the tydings is closed. we'll be right back. stay with us.

what was the first thing george washington told his men before crossing the delaware -- get in the boat, man. people have board up and they are out of here. some people are leaving behind messages. they wrote no candy for sandy. she's not getting any halloween treats from them. all right. a dad in new york used hurricane sandy as a teachable moment for kids. he set up a weather station. the contraption looks weird but it can be used to monitor the weather. >> i wonder if it's still standing. >> i don't know. >> all right. we'll be right back after a quick break.

here we go. let's give outcurrent statistics -- give you the current statistics. it has it coming ashore. we just read the hurricane statements saying this continues to intensify. why? maybe the center is going over the delaware bay. it's an interesting mini stat. northern cecil county, the center will go over you and push to the west. 940-millibar. the deepest storm this far north of north carolina moving west, northwest at 24, top sustained winds at 90 and gusting close to 10000. crisfield came in at close to

90-mile-an-hour wind gusts. some heavy bands moving through. that's cloing -- going into annapolis. dover, this is a tough right going through the eastern shoarmt here's -- shore. here's the center. this is where the center would be. it's slowly rotating over cape may county. this is the cape may county courthouse going right up toward the jersey shore. this will cross into newcastle county. elkton, may have the center over your area. it's going to pivot all the rain off the coastal sections and

bringing in gusty winds. current wind at 24. ocean city at 48. we're seeing those gusts coming in at hurricane force. crisfield 86-mile-an-hour gusts. you get idea. even some gusty winds making into the interior state. carroll county close to 40 miles an hour. we are continuing to watch the power outages coming across the area. wind gusts are up there. look at rain totals in the bucket thus farks four to six inches of rain. we'll continue to pile in the water thinking grand total six to eight inches. look at the rehoboth beach camera. we're losing the beach cam slowly. we have a high thighed that will

come in later this -- tide that will come in later this evening. another high tide will be coming in through the course of the evening. eight foot waves, 20-foot. annapolis comes in tonight at 8:00. be aware of that. if you live in an area prone to bay flooding you may need to get your plan together. this is right around 13th avenue, wyatt. this is showing the waves coming in. this is eroding the beach. there's a flood warning for everybody. know that flood warnings in effect. we are seeing flooding across many locations. coastal flood warnings. can a plan together. information ranging from 6:00 to 11:00 across the area, so be aware of that. more of sandy's coverage coming up right after this break.

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hurricane sandy coming ashore. >> the eastern shoarks the western shore-- shore, the western shore. >> there's no storm that's a good precedent for this. there's some parallels after it shot out. it curved back in and came in north of this storm. the river will hit above flood stage levels. the river levels we have not

seen since agnes in 72. >> when do you think that will start? >> cresting sometime tomorrow. >> so major flooding. agnes in '72, they had to go a gates open with the susquehanna. one last look at this thing before our next news blofnlgt here it; sandy. these are the new observations as of the 5 p.m. hour. 90-mile-an-hour sustained winds. the discussion from the national hurricane center, 940. >> the gulf stream watering the river owe considering offshore -- owe